In Two Days, I Learned What Take Others Years to Know

Attending the PLEN360° Summit was a remarkable experience. During the two day seminar, we had access to so many inspiring and successful women, all willing to share their knowledge, expertise and career journeys. In two days, we discussed networking strategies and practiced through speed networking. The panel of networking mentors brought varied backgrounds from an international development agency to high tech coalition to offices of congressmen. These professional women spoke of their experiences and candidly answered our questions. We also learned about career opportunities in the Washington, D.C. area and how to create a winning career plan. Another invaluable session included salary negotiation techniques.

The summit covered the landscape of policy careers in DC, presented by two outstanding professionals: Ann Hollingsworth of Refugees International and Jo Jensen of DDC Public Affairs. Also included was a resume workshop with personal one-on-one advice and a job search and interview skills workshop. Every session at the seminar was useful and the presenters offered such a wealth of knowledge! Meeting and getting to know the other participants who came from varied fields and experiences was a pleasure and an added benefit of the Summit.

I would like to thank the program coordinator Jillian Lopez, who did an outstanding job of managing the workshop, asking informative panel questions and encouraging participation. I would also like to send a special thank you to my summit sponsor Magdalena Rahn for her kindness and generosity. I highly recommend this seminar to young professionals starting off in their careers, they can learn from experts in two days what it may take many years to learn on your own.

Lisa Conder attended the 2014 PLEN360 summit with a scholarship sponsored by Magdalena Rahn while she was a graduate student at the University of South Florida.